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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28523400">The Burden of Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyloThiccc/pseuds/KyloThiccc'>KyloThiccc</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Headcanon, Headcanon Accepted, Heavy Angst, Heavy Drinking, Misery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please Don't Hate Me, Slow Burn, Spoilers, The Author Regrets Nothing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:41:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28523400</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyloThiccc/pseuds/KyloThiccc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>V finds herself back in Night City only to fimd herself with a broken chip in her brain with no hopes to fix it. Johnny Silverhand hazing her every chance he gets. Her ex back in her life after dropping him two years ago for Atlanta, only to need him for a job. Biz is biz. But, she's hurting for someone to understand.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female V/River Ward, Johnny Silverhand/Female V</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Burden of Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my personal headcanon playthru that I've been slowly working on. Working with base game lore and taking it, twisting it to how I think my first V did shit. Over 60+ hours in and this game is amazing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Cyberpunk 2077: The Burden of Time</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">River Ward</span>  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He'd seen her around Heywood quite a few times throughout his early days as a beat cop before landing detective. How he had seen her around Jackie Welles, on the streets. Around the Coyote; before she up an disappeared a few years ago and reappearing like nothing chained. No matter how much he tried to tell her to not focus on the Welles boy, she always went back. Even after he joined the Valentino's. Best friends forever. She mentioned once how she would take a bullet for him and vice versa. <em> Probably back at the Coyote right now having a good synth burger from Mama Welles. Bless that woman.  </em></p><p> </p><p>Even bought her a couple of meals when it was obvious she hadn't eaten for a few winks back in the day. She scratched his back by being an informant once or twice, even though she was always weary</p><p>of him. How they grew close during the Gang Wars. All till the day she was burned. Not by him, by his at the time partner. Jerry Fawlter. <em> Fucker. </em> River's one good eye narrowed as he remembered that piece of shit, his optic eye twitching. What he did to become commissioner. <em> Not worth the air he breathes. </em> His anger flared into a rage, making his blood burn. <em> He deserves to die for what he did. He hurt Valorie, bad. How she survived, I… Ripperdocs weren't able to heal the damage done to her facial cybernetics. A large scar across her right cheek, across her jawline to her chin, barely clipping her lip. It's an impressive scar, he'd seen the staples. </em>Because of that piece of shit, River automatically made Val nervous to be around him just by association. He punched the steering wheel, making his Tundra honk, scaring himself. His heart pounding in his chest, almost felt his heart was gonna explode. His synth heart; indeed an older model, functionally seems to be slipping. Grabbing at his chest, feeling the surge of pain beginning to swell, his breathing quick. </p><p> </p><p>"FUCK!" <em> Gotta calm down. </em>His MEDLink began to send notifications about his heart rate and blood pressure spiking. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em> God damn it, gotta go to a ripper soon. Have to calm the hell down. In and out. Just like Val showed ya.  Simple meditation. Ya big dummy. Gonna need the eddies too. Shit.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>River concentrated on her trademark blue hair as best as he could. Everything about her. The black lipstick she always wore. Her Valentino styled tattoos; her piercings, bridge with silver studs and her septum  with a beautiful silver band. That silly motorcycle helmet she always wore, the roar of her motorcycle was a sound he always found himself searching for. How she smelled, like vanilla and gunpowder. Not the best combination of smells, but it somehow worked for her. Being around her always made him calm. Breathing slowly in through his nostrils. The pressure in his chest slowly dissolved to nothing. She was his lucky charm. He told her once, a few months later… She ran off to Atlanta in an attempt to make it big. Val did say her goodbyes though, she was kind enough to do that. But, he still hurt that she left him without even talking about it. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He heard a sound he hadn't heard in two years, approaching three. Clear as day, that's V's motorcycle. It was so unique, it HAD to be her. River sat up in his Thorton, diligently looking around for her. There she was speeding past, clocking well over one hundred mph. <em> Fuck, V. </em>He debating for a few seconds to go after her, huffing to himself; he activated the siren in his truck. Engaging the light, he used the sound system ordering her to pull over. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span class="u"> <em> Valorie </em> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Time. Something, that I don't have anymore. Not since Arasaka. Not since Jackie… Zero'd out. FUCK! It wasn't suppose to go down like that! God damn it, Jackie! <em> I'm so fucking sorry! I'm so fucking sorry. </em></p><p> </p><p>Tears streamed down my face, the wind streaking them back into my hair. The military goggles that Panam had given me in fact did wonders to keep out the bugs when riding on my baby Kusanagi. The stickers I put all over it, were what made it special to me. Fusion powered bad ass motorcycle that Wakako sold for surprisingly cheap. An absolute steal!</p><p> </p><p>Not paying attention to the road, the sound of sirens at my back. Looking behind me for a split second, I saw a man who I had tried my best to forget. The one half decent cop left on the force, still though, he was connected to shady ass people. Worse than The Afterlife Mercs, than Rogue. Fuck, I remember when I first joined the Mercs and how he lost his shit about joining a gang.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "You either join or you die. Starving isn't an option. You did what you had to do. You were a kid."  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fuck off, Johnny. Into the fucking Sun.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> "I wasn't trying to be patronizing. You wanna take it way? FINE! Be my fucking guest, V." </em>Misery filled my core, like my soul was upset over just trying to survive. Angry at myself for getting into this giant clusterfuck. I could feel Johnny's anger too. All directed at me, he fueled the flames of my demise. </p><p> </p><p><em> Fuck, I really don't wanna talk to him. </em> Slowing my bike, I came to a park outside a fancy corpo restaurant. Sitting up on my bike, I sighed hard. <em> Fuuuuuuuuuck... </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "Who?"  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> River. </em>Johnny's form appeared in front of my, leaning on the front of my bike with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "Someone who clearly knows how to make you squirm. And for now, that's fine by me. Wanna see how this plays out."  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Ya and maybe when we're done here I'll zero the both of us.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> "Don't joke about shit like that, V." </em>Johnny's tone had gone from a douchebag playful to just his normal douchebag demanding self. </p><p> </p><p><em> Fuck you, man. I'm the one dying slowly being ripped outta my own neural network by some fucking parasite. Don't tell me what I can and can't joke about. And I'm pretty sure you deserve that delicious ironic death. </em>Johnny couldn't help but stare at her. She was truly feeling lost. He could feel her burden of misfortune. Always being dealt a shity hand, yet she always rolled with the punches. </p><p> </p><p>Hard foots-steps across old pavement brought her mind back, Johnny was gone. <em> Fucker. </em> </p><p> </p><p><em> "Still here you fucking cunt." </em>Rolling my eyes, I waited for the man whose heart I broke two years ago. </p><p> </p><p>"You got any idea how fucking fast you were going?" There he was, that authoritative tone he always had when on duty. He hadn't changed a bit, granted he has a clean shaved head now. Stubble barely creeping throughout, his optic eye twitching the same when he gets frustrated. That big ass coat he always wore, those fucking leather pants too. Not a SINGLE BIT. </p><p> </p><p>"Hey, River… How you been?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I got a spotify playlist for this fic if it interests you. Songs via the playlist will probably be mentioned. Hope you like the music! </p><p>https://open.spotify.com/playlist/29X0ZTchQzrIpHyvI18UgI?si=2CWfr9znRLqdhJhfVuJ2Eg</p></blockquote></div></div>
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